Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced intense bipartisan grilling at his Senate confirmation hearing on July 15, 2026. Senators focused heavily on a controversial IRS settlement that granted Donald Trump tax immunity and proposed a $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund. While Blanche declared the fund 'dead,' he conceded the agreement remains legally enforceable. Blanche also faced backlash over a botched release of Jeffrey Epstein files that exposed victims' identities. Key Republicans like Senator John Cornyn remain undecided, while over 1,200 former DOJ staffers oppose his nomination.
Blanche Senate confirmation hearing
- ▪Todd Blanche defended his record at the Justice Department, highlighting efforts to reduce violent crime, combat public benefits fraud, and target drug cartels
- ▪Todd Blanche served as Donald Trump's personal defense lawyer in three criminal cases before being confirmed as deputy attorney general in March 2025 and becoming acting attorney general in April 2026
- ▪Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced bipartisan questioning on July 15, 2026, during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing to become the permanent U.S. Attorney General
Trump IRS tax immunity
- ▪Todd Blanche defended a settlement resolving Donald Trump's lawsuit against the IRS, which granted permanent tax audit immunity to Donald Trump, his sons, and his family businesses
- ▪U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Florida ruled that Donald Trump improperly used his lawsuit against the IRS to leverage the settlement and referred involved lawyers to state bar authorities
Anti-weaponization fund controversy
- ▪Todd Blanche testified that a planned $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund to compensate Donald Trump's allies is 'dead' and 'moot,' though he acknowledged the underlying settlement has not been formally rescinded
- ▪Todd Blanche conceded that the IRS settlement remains an enforceable contract and Donald Trump's counsel could potentially sue the Justice Department for breach of contract for not moving forward with the fund
Epstein files victim exposure
- ▪Todd Blanche declined to commit to personally meeting with Jeffrey Epstein's victims who were present at the hearing, stating that other Justice Department and FBI officials were better positioned to do so
- ▪Todd Blanche took responsibility for mistakes in the Justice Department's release of investigative files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which inadvertently exposed the identities of some victims
Republican senators remain undecided
- ▪Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas stated that Todd Blanche's answers did not assuage his concerns about the settlement and that he remains undecided on whether to vote for confirmation
- ▪Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina expressed ambivalence about the IRS settlement and January 6 pardons but praised Todd Blanche's performance during the confirmation hearing
Former DOJ staffers oppose
- ▪More than 1,200 former Justice Department staffers signed a letter opposing the confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General
- ▪Democratic Senator Dick Durbin criticized Todd Blanche, asserting that Blanche has treated the Justice Department like Donald Trump's personal law firm at the expense of the public interest
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